Sector movers: Defence hit after Cobham update
3rd Nov 2010 14:42
The aerospace and defence is lower today, with high tech group Cobham bearing the brunt of the attack. Cobham said its commercial markets remain stable, but fragile, with some US customers still reluctant to put pen to paper. Elsewhere in the sector though, Rolls-Royce has moved slightly ahead aft
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie treads water
3rd Nov 2010 14:13
London is not short of corporate newsflow to generate share price movements among the blue-chips but the net effect has been to leave the Footsie little changed. Car insurer Admiral said not much has changed since August's interim results, but that simple affirmation of recent trends was enough to
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie little changed despite excitement
3rd Nov 2010 12:12
There is plenty of movement in share prices today, but with stocks moving in both directions, Footsie is little changed. Lloyds Banking's announcement of its new chief executive has attracted investor excitement. It has appointed Antonio Horta-Osorio, the head of Spanish bank Santander's UK busine
Read moreLloyds appoints Santander UK chief as new boss
3rd Nov 2010 09:16
Lloyds Banking has appointed Antonio Horta-Osorio, the head of Spanish bank Santander's UK business, as its new chief executive replacing Eric Daniels who is stepping down. Horta-Osorio, a Portuguese, has been a key figure behind the Spanish bank's expansion into the UK since he took up his current
Read moreLondon close: More gains for Footsie after well-received results
2nd Nov 2010 16:36
A strong performance on Wall Street ahead of the US Federal Reserve's decision on whether to increase monetary stimulus measures - not to mention the mid-term election - helped sustain good gains in London. Sentiment here was buoyed by well-received results from some big names. Beleaguered oil gia
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie consolidates gains
2nd Nov 2010 14:26
Footsie moved sideways over the lunch time session, as investors digested a busy morning of big company announcements. Beleaguered oil giant BP comfortably beat third quarter profit forecasts though it has had to take an additional $7.7bn charge in respect of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The marke
Read moreBroker tips: Lloyds Banking, IMPs, Reckitt
2nd Nov 2010 13:27
Investment house Killik has reiterated its positive recommendation on Lloyds Banking Group after the part nationalised lender's interim management statement indicated things are ticking along much as expected. "The Lloyds investment case is a simple one of recovery from the impact of the financial
Read moreBroker snap: Recovery stock Lloyds attractively valued
2nd Nov 2010 13:26
Investment house Killik has reiterated its positive recommendation on Lloyds Banking Group after the part nationalised lender's interim management statement indicated things are ticking along much as expected. "The Lloyds investment case is a simple one of recovery from the impact of the financial
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Imperial Tobacco beats expectations
2nd Nov 2010 12:54
Cigarettes maker Imperial Tobacco topped market forecasts with its full year profits, and sharply reduced its debt. Adjusted profit before tax in the year to 30 September rose 10% to £2,467m from £2,233m the year before. The market had pencilled in a figure of £2.320m. Net debt was reduced by £1.5
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie builds on gains
2nd Nov 2010 12:15
Footsie has built on its earlier gains as investors react positively to updates. Beleaguered oil giant BP comfortably beat third quarter profit forecasts though it has had to take an additional $7.7bn charge in respect of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The market had been expecting underlying net in
Read moreLondon open: Big guns lift Footsie
2nd Nov 2010 08:55
Results from the big guns reporting this morning have generally been favourable, helping Footsie to notch up decent gains so far. Beleaguered oil giant BP comfortably beat third quarter profit forecasts though it has had to take an additional $7.7bn charge in respect of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill
Read moreLloyds on track despite 'subdued' loan demand
2nd Nov 2010 07:05
Better margins at its core banking business and bad debts under control kept state-controlled bank Lloyds' recovery on track over the past three months, despite 'subdued' loan demand. "We continue to monitor the economic environment carefully but notwithstanding this we are pleased to be reporting
Read moreLondon pre-open: Big guns overshoot targets
2nd Nov 2010 07:02
Results from the big guns reporting this morning have generally been favourable, but the Footsie is still tipped to open a few points lower, with traders reluctant to over commit ahead of today's US mid-term elections, not to mention the big decisions on quantitative easing from the Bank of England
Read moreLondon close: US breathes life back into Footsie
1st Nov 2010 16:42
A good early performance from Wall Street helped Footsie snap out of a weak spell to close in positive territory. US shares were boosted by a bigger than expected rise in factory output in October. The Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing index rose to 56.9 last month. Analysts thought
Read moreLondon afternoon: Banks and miners lead advance
1st Nov 2010 15:14
Footsie pulled out of its late morning slump over the lunch time session to move firmly back into positive territory, though investors are still reluctant to commit too heavily ahead of tomorrow's mid-term US elections, and the quantitative easing decisions expected this week from the Bank of Englan
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